


Skate into My Heart

by queen_of_demons_and_hell



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Forbidden Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:01:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28350570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_of_demons_and_hell/pseuds/queen_of_demons_and_hell
Summary: Nico is a figure skater, Will is an ice hockey player. It's a forbidden romance ooooh
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 10
Kudos: 55





	1. Prologue

"Hey Annabeth," Nico padded across the lobby toward the edge of the rink, his skates clutched in one hand.

Annabeth was sitting on the bleachers, unlacing her skates, but she paused and looked up at him.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think it would be okay if I stayed after hours to get some extra practice before sectionals?"

"Oh," Annabeth smiled, "I'm sure it would be fine. I'll cover with the all-powerful Olympians," She rolled her eyes, "If necessary." She pulled off her skates and tossed them in her bag.

"Thanks," Nico sat down next to her to put his skates back on.

Annabeth stood up, tossed her bag over her shoulder, and opened her mouth to say something but was silenced by her phone ringing. She dug it out of her pocket, "Hey," She paused, and Nico could hear Percy's voice but couldn't tell what he was saying, "Yeah, I'm on my way out now," She smiled, "I'm excited to see you too, only a few hours you. Yeah, yeah, I love you too, Seaweed Brain," 

She then hung up, sticking her phone back in her pocket.

She was at the door when she looked back at Nico, who was now stretching against the wall, "Nico?"

"Yeah, Annabeth?"

"You are going to kill it at sectionals in my place,"

Her voice was so genuine he looked down, his cheeks dusted pink.

Nico couldn't see, but Annabeth was smiling.

"Tell Percy I say hello,"

"I will. I'll see you in a few weeks. I wish I could see you kick everyone's asses,"

Nico let out a genuine snort, "You'll be in my heart," He held his hand to his chest.

She smirked and flipped her hair over her shoulder with exaggerated arrogance, "I know."

Nico just shook his head with an eye roll and a small smile.

Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at it and laughed, "Okay, so Grover's outside waiting for me so he can take me to the airport, and he is getting very impatient."

"You'd better go then,"

"Yeah. Nico, seriously, you're going to do great."

"Not as great as you would do,"

She just shook her head, "I'll leave you to your practicing but don't spend so much time you overexert yourself, okay?"

"Okay,"

And then she was gone.

~~~~~~~~~

Annabeth had left at seven pm, and it was now ten. Nico was definitely getting tired, but he had to keep practicing. Sectionals were in two days. Nico has participated in many figure skating sectionals, regionals, and even nationals. However, none without Annabeth by her side, and definitely no solos, and he wasn't sure he could do this without her.

"You know you're really not all that great,"

Nico lost his footing and slipped on the ice, falling on his ass.

He looked over to see a man leaning against the doorway.

"Who the hell are you?" He exclaimed, pushing himself off the ice with a scowl.

He walked forward, looking completely at ease and confident, and Nico knew he already despised the man.

"My name's Bryce Lawrence," He held out his hand, and was looking at Nico with a look that made him immediately uncomfortable, and knew he didn't actually want a handshake.

"Why are you here?" Nico was still scowling.

Bryce lowered his hand, "No name? Okay, sure. I was playing with my friends," 

He jerked his head in a vague direction, "But they left, and I was about to, but the lights were on in here, and I saw you, so I stuck around and watched." He shrugged as if he wasn't just being very, very creepy.

"Playing?" That's when Nico took note of the jersey and narrowed his eyes. "Ice hockey, the uncivilized ice sport. And not even this city's team? What are you doing here?"

"'Uncivilized ice sport'? So we're playing that way, sure I can do that. And very astute of you," His eyes had also narrowed, and his posture got very stiff. "I'm friends with Will Solace, who's friends Travis Stoll, who's dating Katie Gardener, who is friends with Annabeth Chase, who told us it was chill if we played in your other rink."

"Wow, nice name dropping," His voice was pure venom, and he wasn't entirely sure why. He wasn't so supportive of his city's ice hockey team that he detested the other players on sight. And though their coach frequently drilled into them that ice hockey would never be as good as figure skating, they're uncivilized brutes with no grace in the rink, he'd never entirely bought into that either.

"Thanks," His smile was all fake. "Nice to know that you figure skaters still think you're above us and that you support your local hockey team so aggressively," His voice was dry and every syllable grated on Nico's nerves. "Wait," He paused and scrutinized him, and Nico knew that whatever was about to come out of his mouth, he wouldn't like.

"You're going to be performing at your, um-"

"Sectionals," Nico growled.

"Right, that. Well, you'll be oh so pleased to hear that I'm going to be there."

"Wonderful,"

Bryce smiled nastily, "You haven't even been practicing for this for a while right?" 

He cocked his head to the side, "You only just got handed the solo?"

Nico gave a grudging nod.

"Well then, I'll leave you alone to practice, you'll probably need it."

Nico watched Bryce leave with a burning taste in his mouth. He skated for a few more hours, with much more intensity than he'd originally intended.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"How the hell do you manage to make enemies so fast?" Reyna was sprawled across his bed. His room at his Dad's house was the perfect summary of him, dark and hopeless.

"It's a gift," Nico called out from his closet.

Reyna was basically his sister who had been the one to successfully pull him out of his ruthless practicing with her never-ending phone calls threatening him that if he didn't come home she would kill him in a, particularly painful fashion.

"Right. Look, Nico, don't let what this random stranger said get under your skin. You're good. Really good. Your coach picked you for a reason, you know."

"Yeah," He mumbled, jumping onto his bed next to her.

"You belong in that rink, Nico. They all think so."

At the look he gave her, she sighed and pulled him against her, "You belong, hermanito. You belong."

Reyna had been there for him through nearly every bad thing that had happened in his life, and he was so grateful for everything she did for him, which is why he allowed himself to fall asleep in her arms, her humming a Spanish lullaby under her breath.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Alright, pay attention!" Coach Hedge exclaimed.

Nico looked up. Coach Hedge was a strange man. He knew absolutely nothing about figure skating, Coach wasn't one for the delicate appearing sports, but they're usual coach, Annabeth Chase's cousin's friend Thomas had to leave thanks to a family emergency, so they were stuck with Hedge.

"I'm an ice hockey coach! Not this," He made wild gestures with his hands.

His sister Hazel leaned over and whispered, "Why is he always yelling?"

Nico just shrugged helplessly.

"I need a volunteer! Someone who really knows their stuff!"

Hazel glanced at him, but Nico did what he did best. He shrunk himself down to hide in the shadows.

"Me! Me! Me!"

Hedge looked over to see who was talking and pursed his lips. Leo Valdez, a hyperactive teddy bear with slight homicidal tendencies. He was only here for his girlfriend, Calypso. They both joined to support their friends but found they actually liked skating, so they stuck around.

Leo was practically out of his seat, Calypso's arm wrapped around his waist, the only thing that kept him from tumbling headfirst down the bleachers.

"Valdez," Hedge said gruffly, "Lovely."

He scanned the team once more, his eyes landing breifly on Nico before sighing and motioning Leo forward, "Show me what you got."

Leo leapt off the bleachers, paused at the bottom to slip his red skates on then launched himself out into the rink.

Leo was actually extremely good when he didn't get too excited. In his excitement, he usually tripped over his own skates and flew off into the distance, which was one of the only reasons Leo was not going to skate with Nico at sectionals.

Nico looked back at Calypso, who was grinning as she watched her boyfriend, which made Nico unreasonably sad and jealous.

Coach Hedge clapped and called Leo back, looking surprised. "Well done, Valdez, well done."

"But now," Coach's voice echoed through the arena, "I was hoping our star would demonstrate some of his moves."

At his words, the team turned to stare at Nico, who buried himself deeper into the shadows.

Nico was saved from responding when a man burst through the doors. The first thing Nico noticed were his eyes, bright blue, gorgeous, and panicked.

"Coach," He called, brushing his blonde hair out of his eyes.

Hedge turned and groaned, "What happened Solace."

"The Stolls and Clarisse,"

"Of course it was,"

"You'd better see what they did Coach, it's not good."

Hedge followed the boy out the door, slamming it behind them with a shouted, "Behave!"

"So," Hazel said, grinning.

"What?"

"He was pretty cute,"

Nico blushed, hoping she didn't see, "Really? I didn't notice."

"Sure," Hazel nodded. "You weren't staring the entire time?"

"Nope. Shut up,"

"Good cause he's a hockey player," She wagged her finger at him, "Forbidden."

He just rolled his eyes.

"Sectionals are tomorrow."

"I know,"

"You feeling ready?"

"Sure,"

She looked at him with raised eyebrows, "Nico, you're going to be amazing. You're going to win for us."

He sighed, "I hope so,"

He also hoped he'd see that cute blonde hockey player again.


	2. Chapter I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s finally here!
> 
> In the prologue I said that sectionals came first- I’m sorry part of the internet lied to me. Regionals is first so that’s what’ll be happening here

Bryce was barreling towards him.

Clarisse attempted to take the puck and stop Bryce but today he was chock full of red-hot anger and elbowed her out of his way, swiping at her ankles with his stick.

She barely managed to skate out of his way and yelled, “Lawrence! What’s the matter with you!” 

It seemed to go in one ear and out the other.

He kept the puck close to him, keeping every other player away from him.

And he just kept his course straight to the goal. Straight to Will.

It was a practice game. Didn’t he know that? What was he doing? This wasn’t a big deal.

Bryce was still skating when he shot. It seemed like it was in slow-motion. The puck soared through the air, rising off the ice.

Will dove to block it from entering the goal - which was the wrong move. It hit him square in his chest, with enough force to make Will abruptly lose his breath.

Bryce came to a halt in front of him, spraying Will with ice shards.

“Lawrence, it seemed like that had quite the pent up aggression,” Connor said, while Will caught his breath.  
Bryce rolled his eyes, taking off his helmet. “Just cause Solace and the rest of you are weak pussies.”

“Pussies’?” Travis came up behind Connor. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Clarisse only snarled her agreement.

“Guys,” Jason said. “Come on, it’s just Bryce being Bryce.”

Bryce turned to face Jason. “What is that supposed to mean, Grace.”

Jason crossed his arms, his eyes flashing. 

“Why was that the term you picked?” Clarisse asked, her voice low. Dangerous.

“This isn’t helping anything.” Will cut in. “Let’s just leave it. He’ll learn his lesson eventually. Someone will teach him.”

Jason seemed to steel himself, “Yeah. Let’s not fight.”

“Why?” Bryce taunted. “Are you both gay or something?”

Will felt his hand twitch, almost curling itself into a fist. Surveying the team, everybody seemed to be holding themselves back.

Will was saved from answering Bryce’s (admittedly, most likely rhetorical, though it was doubtful he knew what that word meant) when he heard someone yell, “Will!”

It was Kayla standing at the edge of the rink. He skated over to her and came to a stop in front of her.

He jumped up to sit on the thick barrier and pull his skates off. “What?” He looked over to see Kayla looking at him with her arms crossed over her chest.

“I’ve been trying to get your attention for ages now. Your mom keeps calling your phone.”

Will went quiet, holding back a curse.

Kayla looked at him sympathetically despite him not saying anything.

“Alright. Thanks.” She patted him on the shoulder as he wove around her.

“Hey, mom,”

“William. Why haven’t you answered me?”

“I’ve been practicing, mom.”

“Practicing for anything in particular?” Her voice was high - too high - he knew this always meant she expected an answer he couldn’t give her.

“Hockey, mom.”

She sighed sadly and he got defensive.

“You know I’m only playing to try and somehow help me get through med school.”

“I know, honey. But still, it’s such a brutish sport, and locker rooms,” He could feel her shudder through the phone. “All the men.”

Will knew better than to probe about what that meant.

It would be easier to get through med school if you let me ask - or even talk - to dad. You and I both know he’d be willing. It is Medical School.

He didn’t say that though, it would only piss her off or make her sad and it just wouldn’t be a good situation. 

After an awkward silence, he saw Jason poke his head into the narrow corridor Will was in. Jason made some frantic, but quiet (ever polite) hand motions.

Will didn’t know if he should be feeling such intense relief, considering Jason’s face was pretty panicked.

“Mom, I’ve got to know. They need me.”

“Okay,” She said hesitantly. “Make sure to study tonight. You’ve got to keep everything fresh. Always.”

He wasn’t even in school yet. (He was trying though). And she wanted him to know everything.

Will didn’t know what he hated more. His mother’s expectations, or Bryce Lawerence. Really, it was a difficult choice.

She hung up before he could say anything.

He jogged over to where Jason was. “C’mon,” Jason said.

While they were walking Jason kept glancing at Will with a concerned expression. “What,” Will said finally, lips quirking into a smile.

“You alright, man? Your facial expressions during that call didn’t seem great.”

Will shrugged dismissively, “Just my mom. You know how that is.”

Jason laughed darkly, “Don’t I.”

“So what’s up,” Will asked, remembering how frantic he’d been.

“Oh, yeah. Um.”

Will grinned, “Spit it out, Grace. I’m a big boy. I can take it.”

Jason snorted. “I need someone to come with me to the figure skating Regionals tonight.”

Will tripped over his own feet but caught himself before he hit the ground.

Jason looked at him with brief worry then just burst out laughing.

“Leave me alone,” But Will was laughing too. “Why?”

“So you know, my sister Thalia,” Will nodded - everybody knew Thalia - “She’s best friends with this woman, Annabeth Chase. They’ve known each other since Annabeth was seven. Old history ya know.”  
“So Annabeth’s a skater. She was going to be competing actually. But something awful happened with her boyfriend, he’s across the country. I’m unsure about the details. Thalia left to meet them earlier today, she’s also close with the boyfriend, I guess. So Thals needs me to go because apparently these tickets cost a lot and she doesn’t want them to go to waste.”

Jason’s voice got low like he was sharing a conspiracy nobody knew. “A little secret about me, I appreciate figure skaters.”

Will let out a surprised laugh and made his voice as low as Jason’s, “Me too.”

Jason smiled, “I figured. Which is why I’m inviting you. Thalia had two. One for her, and one for Grover Underwood.”

Will hummed his acknowledgment. “Yeah, dude. Of course, I’ll come. Just tell me time and place.”

Jason pumped his fist in the air.  
~~~~~  
Jason had told him he would pick him up, so here Will was. Waiting for Jason to arrive. He’d dressed nice (but not too nice) it was a competition after all, and despite how much he’d deny it his mother’s lessons in etiquette had stuck.

Will was texting, sitting on the couch up against the window in his small apartment. He was letting the dying sunlight filter in and light the space. The reds and oranges and yellows made Will look like some sort of deity. It haloed his hair and accentuated the sharp planes of his face. His feet were propped, knees bent, next to him.   
It was a groupchat with Austin, Kayla, and himself. The only way it could be summed up is: chaos.

Kayla: Sooooo  
Austin: Yes?  
Kayla: Not you  
Austin: How dare you  
Kayla: Go play your saxophone and feel better  
Austin: I will  
Austin: Not because you told me to  
Kayla: Oh of course not  
Will: So that ‘soooo’ was for me, then?  
Kayla: Oh yeah  
Kayla: Any cutes boys you’ve met recently?  
Will: You know that you’d know if I met anybody  
Austin: Is there anybody lgbt even at the rink  
Will: Oh yeah but nobody I’ve noticed I like  
Kayla: :(

Will was startled by a knock on the door. 

“It’s open!” He called, getting off the couch to meet Jason.  
~~~  
Nico  
~~~~  
I slowly sank to a sitting position, feeling the rough brick scrape my back. I knew it would leave noticeable marks but right now, I couldn’t bring myself to care.

I had been stretching and messing around with the others but suddenly my chest had felt very tight.

Hazel had seen the pained expression on my face and made some excuse, letting me slip out the backdoor.

I couldn’t do this.

Saltwater. I tasted salt water.

I couldn’t.

It trickled down my neck.

I couldn’t.

I was so fucking weak.

For so, so many reasons.

I could feel the gradually growing serpent of my anxieties building in the back.

I hadn’t practiced for this enough, and I was going to let everyone down.

The judges were going to find out my most closely guarded secret and-

No. Forget the judges. Everyone was going to find out.

Everyone.

I was probably going to mess up and embarrass myself in one of the biggest competitions of my life.

I was going to let everyone down.

Again. 

I’d found a family and all because I was a fucking failure, I was going to lose them.

I knew I had enough cash in my bag to leave if I had to.

By bag I mean the one I always had:

A change of clothes  
Cash for bus tickets  
Bottled water and protein bars  
A pocket knife.

But it wouldn’t be enough, would it?

I still wouldn’t be able to get away from the shame.

From any of the shame.

Why did I have to be this way?

Why

I couldn’t breathe

I couldn’t fucking breathe.

The saltwater ran like a perverted caress down my face and neck and chest.

I shivered involuntarily

“Hey,” The voice was soft, and not familiar.

I turned so quickly half of my face scraped the wall.

We winced in sync.

It was the boy I’d seen in the rink some time ago, the hockey player.  
~~~~  
Will  
~~~~  
“Hey, Jason?”

He looked at me.

We were being jostled through the crowd. There were so many people. So many.

“I need some air. Can you text me our seat numbers?”

He paused and looked at me. At how my eyes flitted around the room and my flinch every time someone ran into me.

“Yeah, of course, dude.” He made shooing motions with his hands, making me snort.

He grinned but kept staring at me until I turned around and started pushing my way through the crowd.

I knew I couldn’t go outside the front door, there would be even more people there. So I did something scandalous.

I pushed open the door marked Employees Only and was ejected outside the back of the building. 

I was walking along the wall when I saw movement a few feet away.

It was a boy, pressing himself against the wall like it was simultaneously all that was keeping him alive and like he wanted to fade into it.

“Hey,” I murmured like I was attempting to talk down a tiger.

He turned, scraping his face along the wall. But he didn’t seem to feel it.

He looked like some kind of ghoul, sitting there. The bad lighting from the street lamps washed out his ivory skin, making him look deathly.

Those dark eyes peered at me.

He’d look terrifying, except he appeared too small for his body.

He was shivering, tears running freely down his face.

At the angle he was sitting, it looked like his bones were almost poking out of his skin.

Some sense in me was screaming to help him, and though he looked like the opposite type to accept my help he hadn’t run away either.

I looked him up and down and saw with panic he seemed to be holding his breath, but he didn’t seem to realize it.

I didn’t know who this boy was, besides seeing him occasionally at the rink.

But we were both here and like hell was I going to leave him.  
~~~~  
Nico  
~~~~  
He was looking at me with a look of sympathy. Not pity. Sympathy.

He reached out but I flinched away from him and he let his hand drop.

“Can you breathe?” His voice was serious but caring. I couldn’t really see him, the water in my eyes distorted him but I felt like he was some kind of god. He looked like pure sunlight.

I only shook my head, suddenly feeling the urge to take large gulping breaths.

“Put your head between your knees.”

He didn’t reach for me again, but his fingers twitched like he wanted to.

The surrounding world was a dull roar in my ears. The serpent, who’d been ready to devour me whole, angrily shrank back into the recesses of my brain until I could only see those slit-pupiled eyes. It was only lying in wait. Like always. When I lifted my head, my scowl was back.

Despite the rivulets of saltwater- not tears, I couldn’t call them that - I snarled at him, “Leave me alone. I didn’t ask for your help.”

He raised his hands in surrender, “I’m sorry. I’m not going to tell anyone what happened here, so you don’t have to worry about that. Nico, right?”

I just growled again but he didn’t seem to take the hint. He had a small backpack next to him and he rummaged through it and handed me some tissues and a water bottle.

I raised my eyebrows.

“I figured you wouldn’t want to cross through to go to the bathroom.”

I grudgingly accepted and started wiping at my face after dampening the tissues. 

He pulled out a small tube of ointment. “Put it on your face, okay? The scrape is not that bad. But it can’t hurt.”

I just stared blankly at him and he laid it next to me with a smile.

He waved, a little awkwardly, as he walked away.

As I stared at the ointment and the tissues and water I could only come up with one coherent thought:  
What the fuck  
~~~~  
Will  
~~~~  
His phone pinged with a message from Jason. After a few seconds of searching, he found it in his small backpack. He distractedly glanced over the text.

Jason: We’re in row A, seats 5 and 6. Thalia got us right up front.  
Will: Sounds good  
Will: I’ll head there now

He slipped his phone back into his bag.

He really hoped Nico was okay. He was a figure skater and most likely is competing tonight, and Will had never seen him in action but he was almost positive they would need him.

“Hey!” Jason waved to him from their seats and Will slid in next to him.

“You okay?” Jason asked after Will got settled. “You looked pretty uncomfortable.”

“Hmm? Oh. Yeah, I’m okay. I’m not normally like that but something about that environment.” He shuddered. “Anyway, everything’s good now.”

Jason nodded with a smile.

Will surveyed the rink. It was nicer than their rinks back at the studio which was saying something.

He spotted the judge's podium, on a small platform slightly above the rink. There were five judges, none of them looking like they entirely wanted to be here and all of them looking like they would throttle whoever came out.

Not only did the judges look unhappy, but about half of the crowd also did too. They were all shifting like they were here, but there was somewhere else they’d rather be. Why come then?

Will couldn’t imagine being one of the skaters in the locker rooms right now, he’d probably throw up.

“First up!” The booming voice of the announcer made Will jump slightly in his seat. “The singles competition,” He drawled. “From Crescent City…”

Will tuned him out as he watched the woman glide out onto the ice. She was really good and kept most of the crowd entranced, but Will also had an eye on the judges. Only a few of them seemed impressed but only one seemed bored, which most likely was a good thing for her.

“From Olympus Ice,”

Jason and Will leaned forward at the same time.

“Nico Di Angelo!”

Will felt himself clapping as soon as his name was announced.

Nico seemed to magically appear on the ice, looking significantly more confident than the last time he’d seen him.

He appeared to take a deep breath and steel himself before beginning his routine. It was magic. Pure magic.

The way he flew made it look like he’d been born to do this.

It was elegant, but, in a way, suspenseful. Like he could do something unexpected at any moment.

Will was frozen, lips slightly parted as Nico made everyone believe he owned the rink.

He wove a story with his fluid movements, a story that held Will captive.

He attempted a move that never in Will’s wildest dreams could he do, everyone watched as he spun with bated breath and cheered when he landed but the skater in Will recognized that he hadn’t done it. He almost did, and he definitely caught himself, but he hadn’t done it.

And if those judges were worthy at all for their position, they would know too.

Nico finally slid to a stop in front of the judges, his arms crossed over his chest and his chin tilted upward, challenging them to mention the slip-up.

It was quite a scene. He looked almost ethereal and they were all sitting (or standing in Nico’s case) looked like something out of a painting.

Later, after the other singles and the partners and the ensembles, the audience was still, waiting for the announcement.

“The 1st place winner, and who will be going to Sectionals is…

Olympus Ice!”

People burst into applause but Will was only staring at Nico who was standing with his team, a barely-there smile present on his face, but enough to make Will whisper, “Wow,”

Jason glanced at him, then at where he was staring. “Don’t do that, Will. No figure skaters. You know that.”

Will rolled his eyes and scoffed, “I would never.”

Jason sighed and smiled, “Good.”


	3. Chapter II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I only have 800 words of this until like two hours ago? Yes. Is it after 2 am? Yes. Could I have done school work instead of this? Yes. Should I be posting this now and not wait until morning when I can proofread religiously? Probably not but it’s here anyway. Is this unedited? Mostly. Do I have a beta? Never. We die like men here. Is this chapter good? Idk. Is it?

They were all riding on a high as they drove back to the rink.

Nico couldn’t tell who it was, but someone was definitely screeching. Hazel had an arm slung across his shoulder, she wasn’t exclaiming her excitement, which he appreciated, but every time someone mentioned their win she squeezed his shoulder. Which was a lot. 

“We should facetime Annabeth,” Piper McLean called loudly in order to be heard over the excited screaming.

“Yes.” Hazel nodded, “But I feel like we should wait-” She winced when someone accidentally elbowed her in the ribs, “Until we get back and out of this van.”

Nico nodded his agreement, curling back from everyone as best he could. It wasn’t that he didn’t share their enthusiasm but they were too loud about it. Way too loud.

Hazel angled herself in front of Nico when the clamor picked up a new wave. It didn’t do much to shield him but the sentiment was appreciated. 

The van rolled to a stop in front of the rink and they all pushed their way out. He saw Piper wave to the driver before racing inside.

“Let’s put all our stuff in the locker rooms then meet in the lobby and call Annabeth before we call it a night.” Hazel flashed him a smile as they separated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Annabeth!” Hazel exclaimed when the other girl finally picked up. Annabeth honestly looked like she’d been through some shit these past few days. She set her phone down as she wrestled her hair into a ponytail so all that they could see was the white ceiling and the occasional flash of Annabeth’s elbow.

Annabeth picked her phone back up and smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “How’d you guys do?”

“We won!” Came a chorus of shrieks.

Annabeth laughed, “That’s amazing. I’m not surprised either, you had Nico.” She winked at him and Nico allowed himself a small smile.

Thankfully, the attention was directed away from Nico when Piper spoke up, “Annabeth, you don’t look so hot. Is everything okay?”

Annabeth grimaced, “A little better.” When it was clear she wasn’t going to elaborate the conversation went back to their win.  
“Nico was amazing out there, you should have seen him,” Calypso said and the others voiced their agreement.

Nico hung his head to hide his flushed face. 

He heard Annabeth laugh, but it wasn’t mocking. “I’m sure he was.”

When Calypso yawned, despite her best efforts at hiding it, it spread around the group quickly.

Annabeth laughed, "You guys should all go to bed. I'll talk to you later. And congratulations on an amazing job, I'm so proud of you."

They said their goodbyes, some waves, some blown kisses, and some mimed hugs.

Nico stood up and side-hugged Hazel, waving goodbyes to the others, and left the rink. He almost sighed at the comforting sight of his motorcycle. It had been a long day, and he just wanted to relax.

~~~~~~~~~~

Nico got home and automatically knew something was different, as he took off his winter coat and hung it up he scanned the hallway and what little he could see of the living room. “Dad?” He called, “Persephone?” He didn’t expect them to respond, it was late and they both worked in the morning.

Someone was in the kitchen, though, and he walked lightly. When he finally saw her he sighed with a light laugh. “Hey, Reyna. How did you even get in here?”

She turned from her rummaging in the cabinets to grin at him, “Don’t worry about it.”

Nico jumped up to sit on the counter, “Oh I already know how. ‘Sephone and Dad love you.”

Reyna laughed, “That they do.”

She went back to her scavenging and he was about to ask if she was looking for anything in particular when she spoke, “We didn’t get to talk after the performance but you killed it out there.”

Nico looked at her and let himself smile a little and even though she wasn’t looking at him she smiled. “Yeah?” He asked, turning so he couldn’t see her face and if she looked over she couldn’t see his.

“Of course you were! Nobody expected any less, except maybe you.” A hint of sadness in her voice that Nico had no idea what to do with so he ignored it.

“We called Annabeth once we got back to the rink, that’s why I’m later than I normally would be.”

Reyna hummed, finding a box of cereal and holding it triumphantly in the air.

“Cereal? Why.”

She stuck her middle finger in his direction at his tone as she tore the box open.

She gestured and he got the memo, sliding off the counter and walking with her to his room.

“How is Annabeth anyway?” She sat down on his bed, sticking her hand in the box of cinnamon toast crunch. 

He sat down next to her, taking his shoes off and tossing them in the vague direction of his closet.

“She’s doing okay, I think. You know, considering.”

Reyna nodded thoughtfully, “Did she say anything about how they’re doing? How Percy’s doing?”

Nico shook his head, “Not explicitly. It didn’t look like she’d been crying though so that could mean everybody’s okay. All she said was ‘A little better’ so,” He trailed off, watching amused and Reyna ate dry cereal with a serious expression on her face.

“Don’t judge me, Di Angelo.”

“I’m definitely judging you.”

She shook her head ruefully, “I know you are.”

“So, talking to anybody I need to know about?” She said suddenly.

Nico snorted, “Nope. You?”

She sighed, “Me either.” She slid along the bed until she was laying flat on her back, spilling some of the cereal in the process. “I never have luck with love.”

“Well,” Nico said, taking the box of cereal from her before she could make a bigger mess. “Let’s make a pact. If we’re both single by the time we’re 30 we’ll get married.”

Reyna tried to snatch the box back from him but he held it away from her, “Promise me.”

She sighed, “27?”

“Sure.”

“Great. I can’t wait to marry you.” Her laugh was full of exaggerated pain. “Now give me back my cereal. I’ll kill you.”

“Why do I feel like you're on something or drunk and are just hiding it from me.”  
She narrowed her eyes and kept her hand out until he returned the cereal. She smiled like a child and was about to stick her hand back in when her phone started ringing.

She dug it out of her pocket with murder-eyes and murmured a curse before answering, “Hey, Hylla.”

Nico raised his eyebrows in slight concern. Reyna looked like a scolded puppy.

“Yes, Hyl. I know it’s late. Yes. No, I’m running away with the wolves.” She ended drily. “I’ll head home, I promise. No, I’m not lying. I’ll leave soon.”

She looked at Nico once the call ended and wailed dramatically.

“You are drunk aren’t you. You’re not acting like yourself at all.”

“Maybe a little,” She whispered. “I just felt lonely for some reason.”

Nico pursed his lips, “Yeah. I get that. And I’ll drive you home, I’m not letting you drive.”

She smiled and opened her mouth but Nico cut her off, “Yes, you can keep the cereal.”

~~~~~~~~

The next morning Nico came downstairs to breakfast waiting for him. His Dad and step-mother knew that the forced family dynamic where they ate together made him uncomfortable, he’d never had that and it didn’t fit who they were anyway.

But there was a plate of breakfast for him. 

Persephone was sitting on the couch, hands curled around a mug, eyes closed as she soaked in the sunlight in a fashion that was very similar to her plants.

She opened her eyes when he came downstairs and smiled warmly, “The food’s for you. You can take it upstairs if you’d like.”

He nodded thanks and was halfway up the stairs again when she spoke, “You did amazing last night. Really. It was breath-taking.” She was looking at him.

“Thank you,” He turned away, voice hoarse.

When he looked back her eyes were closed again.

~~~~~~~

Nico was sitting at his desk, picking at his half-eaten plate and half-heartedly doing the work he should be paying a lot of attention to when his phone buzzed.

Will Solace: Hey, I know you don’t really know me but I go to the same rink you do. I saw your performance last night, it was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen.

Immediately Nico clicked on his profile and stifled an actual gasp. It was the cute hockey player who indeed played at the rink. The same hockey player who’d found Nico having a panic attack outside and talked him through it. The same hockey player whose eyes Nico could feel on him when he was skating. The same hockey player that when given the opportunity, Nico couldn’t stop staring at. And he had reached out to Nico, admittedly just to compliment him, but he hadn’t even brought up what had happened outside.

Nico Di Angelo: Thank you. I appreciate it.

Will Solace: Of course, you deserve it.

Nico didn’t know how to respond to that but his thumbs hovered over the small keyboard anyway. He was saved (or damned, depending on how you look at it) when Will messaged again.

Will Solace: I know we’re not supposed to be friends, but do you think we could be? You seem really cool.

Nico froze in the spot and it seemed like he forgot how to breathe. His thumbs hovered again before he exited the chat.

He spun around in his chair, “Pick up.” He whisper-begged, “Pick up please.”

“Hey, Nico! What’s up?”

“Hazel.” He gasped in relief, “Help me.”

“With what?” She asked, her voice going very low.

“I- um. Can you come over? I need you and Reyna.”

“Of course.” She said immediately. “Are you in any imminent danger?”

“What? No.”

“Oh, thank god. I was really worried. I’m coming as soon as possible,” She paused, “I’ll be over in like 15 minutes.”

That was basically how the conversation with Reyna went too, and soon Nico was left in the silence of his room, twiddling his thumbs and waiting for his basically-sisters to help him with his. Guy problem? No. This dude literally said the word friend. Why was this such an issue? He tried to logic this with himself but it didn’t work, he couldn’t respond on his own.

“Nico!” Persephone’s voice carried. “Reyna and Hazel are here!”

“Thanks!” He called back. He was never sure what to call her. Mom didn’t work, that was reserved for his birth-mother, who’d died a long time ago, but calling her Persephone didn’t feel right either, she was too much of his mother for that. Why was he even thinking about this?”

When Hazel and Reyna came into his room, they both looked like they’d fought hell to do it.

“Did you run here or something?” Nico asked. 

“Pretty much,” Reyna said, sitting at the edge of his bed. 

Hazel nodded her agreement and sat on the opposite edge of his bed. “We were worried.”

Looking at them both, he could tell they definitely had been. They’d dropped everything to come help him, and he hadn’t even explained what it was he needed help with. That thing curled around his heart and squeezed.

“It’s okay. Seriously. It’s just,” He trailed off, deciding to just show them. He handed his phone to Hazel first.

Her eyes lit up and she was laughing as she handed the phone to Reyna. “Nico, do you like this guy.”

Nico felt himself go red, “No! I just, I- '' He was so flustered and the way Reyna was looking at him and clucking her tongue like a (somehow) simultaneously proud and disappointed mother hen was not helping.

“This is adorable,” Hazel said finally.

Nico groaned and buried his head in his hands

Reyna nodded her agreement, “Nico, babe.” She and Hazel looked at each other, silently communicating. “This Will guy isn’t even asked you to fuck him or anything,” Hazel went light pink, but it was nothing compared to the flush on Nico’s skin. “He’s asking to be friends, talk to you a little more.”

“I can’t.” Nico said, “He’s a hockey player.”

Reyna shook her head sadly, “I hate that rule.”

“But it’s a rule,” Hazel mumbled.

“When have you not broken rules?” Reyna asked with a pointed stare.

“I can’t handle the ‘scandal’ that would be. The consequences. And besides,” His voice dropped about 8 octaves, “I’m not even out to some of the team yet.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. So,” She handed his phone to him, “You don’t have to block him yet or anything but you just don’t respond.”

Hazel nodded her agreement, and then Nico did too.

Reyna clapped her hands, “Great. Now,” She slid back so she was sitting up against the wall, “We’re all here so let’s just talk about random bull.”

“I like that plan.” Hazel spread herself out on the bed until she was comfortable.

Nico stood up from his desk chair and wormed his way between them. “Me too.”

~~~~~~~~~~  
It was two in the morning. Prime time for bad decisions.

Hazel and Reyna had left a while ago, but once they left, he’d finally focused on the work he should be doing, pushing Will and everything out of his mind.

He’d resolved it in his mind, he just wasn’t going to message him back. That was it. The chances of seeing him again, especially without anybody else, were very, very slim. So. It was fine, no worries.

Until the clock hit two AM. Nico was sitting in the dark of his bedroom, staring at his phone. What was he doing? This was such a mistake.

Nico Di Angelo: You seem okay. So, yeah. We can be friends. But, nobody can know. We're not supposed to be able to stand each other.

For some, god-forsaken reason, Will responded only fifteen minutes later.

Will Solace: Thank you? Of course. :)

Nico cursed himself silently. What was he doing? He could get in so much trouble for this. In many different senses of that phrase.

When Will friended him on Snapchat and then sent him an insufferably adorable selfie Nico couldn't bring himself together.

This was a mistake, but this boy had helped him, had thought that his skills in the rink were amazing, and Nico couldn't stop texting him all night.


End file.
